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Michael Karp

Michael Karp

Assistant Professor,

Contact

Assistant Professor
History
Office Phone(909) 537-8169
Office LocationIW-302

Bio

After double-majoring in history and religious studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, I earned my MA and PhD in history at Saint Louis University. My research draws upon many sub-fields, but  the social and environmental history of the American West are my main areas of focus. My current book project, Raising the Redwood Curtain: Labor Landscapes and Community Violence in a Pacific Littoral, examines how the spread of global capitalism violently reordered labor patterns and social relations in northwestern California. My newest research project seeks to explore how access to water has structured race and class inequalities in California's Colorado Desert. 

Since earning my PhD, I have had the unique privilege to teach in a variety of settings including an independent middle school, public high schools, dual enrollment programs, and community colleges and universities. My diverse teaching experience has also led to my involvement and interest in the Scholarship on Teaching and Learning. As an educator and resident of the Coachella Valley, I am honored to be a part of CSUSB’s Palm Desert Campus. I am excited and thankful each day for the opportunity to work with our students and the larger community.

Education

PhD - Saint Louis University (2015)

MA - Saint Louis University (2012)

BA - Cal Poly Humboldt (2010)

Courses/Teaching

  • HIST 2000 - US History to 1877
  • HIST 2010 - US History since 1877
  • HIST 2700 - California History
  • HIST 3010 - Teaching History
  • SSCI 3020 - 20th Century World
  • HIST 3950 - American Environmental History
  • HIST 5750 - Internship in History
  • HIST 5840 - Proseminar in History
  • HIST 5850 - Research Seminar in History
  • HIST 6953 - Directed Graduate Studies

Specialization

United States history

Research and Teaching Interests

The history of the American West, Environmental history, California History, the history of American capitalism, labor history, history education and the Scholarship on Teaching and Learning